Various medical devices, including stents, stent grafts, and venous filters, are deployed within the vasculature of a patient using deployment devices. Some of the medical devices are self-expanding, in a radial direction, and require restriction from radial expansion prior to deployment. According to some deployment systems, an outer sheath maintains a restricted position of the self-expanding medical device during advancement of the medical device to a deployment site. Once the medical device is positioned at or near the deployment site, the sheath is removed, or retracted, to permit radial expansion of the self-expanding medical device. The retraction of the sheath is typically facilitated through manipulation of a handle positioned at a proximal end of the deployment system.
Although a variety of different deployment systems exist, ranging from relatively simple to relatively complex devices, a conventional system with a pull-type handle includes a proximal handle portion and a distal handle portion. The proximal handle portion is configured to maintain a relatively stationary position of a pusher catheter, which supports the self-expanding medical device, while the distal handle portion is configured to retract a sheath positioned over the self-expanding medical device. Deployment of the medical device is initiated by proximally retracting the distal handle portion, which is connected to the sheath, toward the proximal handle portion, which is connected to the pusher catheter. This conventional deployment system, in particular, may be incapable of providing the deployment forces required for deploying relatively large medical devices, which may include specialized coatings.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0219617 to Saint discloses a handle for a long self expanding stent. In particular, the handle includes a housing and a spool. A pushrod has a proximal end connected to the housing of the handle. A retraction wire is connected to a proximal end of a sheath and to the spool. Refraction of the sheath is accomplished by winding the retraction wire around the spool. Accordingly, the handle may be shorter than the stent. Although the handle of the Saint disclosure may be useful for some applications, it should be appreciated that there is a continuing need for efficient and effective handles for medical device deployment systems.
The present disclosure is directed toward one or more of the problems or issues set forth above.